Claiming Compensation for Hospital infections

If you or a member of your family has contracted MRSA or any other type of infection during a stay in hospital, and you believe that this infection might have been caused because of the hospital’s clinical negligence, you may be able to make a medical negligence compensation claim.

MRSA (Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus) and C Difficile (Clostridum Difficile or C-Diff) are often referred to as superbugs because they are highly resistant to the antibiotics which are used to treat infections. The MRSA bacteria are fairly common and can be found on up to 30% of people, on the skin or in the nose.

Other infectious ‘superbugs’ include:

MRSA (Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus)

C Difficile (Clostridum Difficile or C-Diff)

VRE (Vancomycin-resistant enterococcus)

E-Coli

Klebsiella

GRE (Glycopeptide Resistant Enterococci)

VRSA (Vancomycin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus)

Outbreaks of these types of infections have been attributed to low standards of hygiene in hospitals and among hospital staff.

Most cases of MRSA can be treated with certain types of strong antibiotics. This can be a long process however and can often involve a lengthy stay in hospital. A full recovery is usually possible, however sometimes a patient will be left with long-term effects such as scarring. Unfortunately, serious cases of MRSA infection can also be fatal.

A large number of MRSA cases are caused by insufficient hygiene measures in hospitals. Procedures such as stringent hand washing by hospital staff, the regular cleaning of wards with suitable disinfectants and full use of disposable gloves and gowns are all simple, but effective ways of preventing the spread of infection.

Strict rules now exist in hospitals to try and minimise incidences of superbugs such as MRSA and C Diff such as swabbing the patients on admission to check if you were already carrying MRSA. If these rules are not followed and you contract an infection due to the hospital staff’s negligence or a problem with the hospital’s procedures, you could be entitled to make a claim for compensation.